For Hope's Sake
by Phant0m
Summary: Dante and Vergil have to deal with each other on their way through unfriendly surroundings. Would they team up or part? R&R, please. Complete
1. Chapter 1

**The disclaimer:** Capcom owns D & V.

This story is about brothers having to deal with each other on their way through uncommon setting.

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**Chapter 1**

It was late in the night, an hour or two before dawn, the street was barely lit by few lamps that cast yellow and wan spots on the dark pavement, making it look like a French curve. Suddenly one of the spots was crossed by a tall figure that stumbled over non-existent border of light and cursed loudly. "Damn, what jerk placed them around here?" The red-clad man stopped and surveyed the street, his dozed brains trying to recognize the wobbling surrounding. He'd never stepped into that alley before which meant that his autopilot finally got a glitch. Apparently that drinking bout was too much even for him. What did they call this shit Bobby muddled for him? "Blue dusk?" Promised a hell of awakening, as he sensed it. "We sure need a sober break, buddy." Dante muttered to himself and plodded on, making zigzags and whistling some simple tune.

He made another random turn – it would lead him somewhere anyway, wouldn't it? – and staggered to another lit area. Approaching the street lamp, he grabbed hold of it for support, gazing around, and blinked, peering into the darkness. "They weren't kidding about this cocktail! I already see something blue…" he screwed his eyes, trying to discern the approaching blur. Wait..that was…

"Oh, crap…" he grimaced and turned away, leaning against the lamp. Why couldn't he have a decent binge without that kind of consequences? Suddenly he felt something grasped his shoulder and the next moment he was roughly turned round to face his brother.

"Nice to see you, bro." Dante drunkenly grinned, wondering if Vergil would impale him on his katana without letting him sober up. Vergil shook him by the shoulders and shoved him into the lamp post. "What were you doing in my apartment?" he demanded through set teeth.

"Well, you'd better not shake me this way, Verge" Dante mumbled and hiccupped, smiling. "It would do no good for both of us. Not that I'm not used to that but your dearest coat might be damaged".

Vergil instantly let go of his shoulders and cautiously took a step back, glancing at him in disgust. "What's the use of drinking if you can't keep it inside?" He questioned, watching his twin regain the remains of his composure.

"That just feels good." Dante replied with his eyes closed.

"Even if it makes you feel sick and vomit?" Vergil pulled a face.

"Oh no, dude, that's my organism reaction to YOU!" Dante emphasized the last word and burst out laughing. Vergil growled and punched him in the chest – not hard but enough to turn the laughter into coughs.

"I asked you a question, Dante. Don't make me repeat myself".

Dante got his breath and sighed.

"I thought I've already replied to all of your questions and even got kicked for one fair answer. Bad way to loosen one's tongue, don't you think?" He smirked. Of course, when it came to his methods of getting somebody to talk, there was only one way – good thrashing. But he and his brother were a different story. Nothing would make him talk if he didn't want to.

"Dante." Vergil warned, narrowing his eyes.

"What? My brain's in a doze mode. Try again later." He waved his hand, sending Vergil away.

Vergil balled his fists and was about to give Dante a header but thought better of it. He would not stoop to beating drunken numbskull that was too slow on the draw, now would he? No. The only reason was that Vergil didn't want to dirty himself in the process. He took another step back and summoned several swords, aiming them at Dante who was now blinking in confusion, quickly sobering up. He rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on, don't give me this sh.. Hey!!" he quickly crossed his arms over his head, covering it from the swords that flew at him. A sharp pain shot through his hands and legs, making him clench his teeth trying not to cry out. He really wasn't in a mood to fight. He planned two things for today's night – get drunk and nod off – and had no stomach for blows, literally.

"Vergil, stop that!" He groaned without putting his hands down, and gasped when Vergil suddenly grabbed at his coat and threw him into the wall of the nearest building. He crashed into the stone surface and collapsed on the ground. Okay, that's enough, he thought, reaching for his holsters when Vergil lifted him off the dirt and pushed to the wall.

"Now what? Have I succeeded in creating an atmosphere for a heart-to-heart talk?" he hissed.

"I don't know, Vergil, you seem to be too pushy. I don't feel at eas.." They were distracted by a strange crimson light, emanating from the wall with a low drone just a couple of meters away from them. They hadn't noticed it before and now were cautiously watching it, expecting something to come out.

"What is that?" Dante asked, craning his neck to have a better view.

Vergil let go of his collar and came closer to the weird area. Dante straightened out his coat and took out his guns, approaching his brother.

"Looks like a portal, though a strange one." Vergil said, frowning. It had fuzzy borders and odd shade of red mixed with black streaks.

"Okay, let's check it." Dante had really been places and no portal could frighten him.

"No way I'm going through this." Vergil snorted, "I see you are not learning anything". It was always the same. Dante was the one to push his fingers into the wall outlet, to dive his hands into scary-looking holes in the ground and find lots of other ways to heap up trouble for himself and hell of a headache for their mother. Vergil, on his part, tried to avoid as much dubious situations as possible, knowing from experience that everything Dante showed interest in would bring no good. Obviously nothing had changed since that time.

"And you are the same killjoy as before." Dante responded. Vergil turned to resume their exchange of fair and foul when suddenly the portal disappeared. Before they could realize what had happened, the red spot appeared on the ground under their feet and they sank into nothingness.

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Review if you want me to keep writing, for I'm not sure about that one. My exams kill the tenth Muse everytime she appears on the horizon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Capcom owns D & V.**  
_Hey guys! I'm really thankful for each of your reviews, they were so encouraging! I planned to update it earlier but the exam melted my brains.. Anyway, hope you like this chapter as well._

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**  
Chapter 2**

Dark, an utterly dark void, accompanied by silence that was washing over the consciousness, sweeping away every thought that tried to form. That state lasted what seemed like an eternity when suddenly a totally inappropriate sound cut through the vacuous space of mind – chirping. Vergil knitted his brows, having partly come to his senses, and harkened. The sound repeated. There was no mistake: the real twittering of birds surrounded him, along with another quiet noise he couldn't identify yet. Rustle of leaves, maybe, but the last time he checked there weren't any trees outside his apartment in the city centre.

Suddenly he felt something crawl up his cheek and abruptly sat up, wildly shaking it off his face with his hands. "Ugh!" he wrinkled his nose, watching the big unicorn beetle hurry away into tall grass. Grass?? He looked around and froze. He must be dreaming! The half-devil found himself sitting on the ground surrounded by the heavy bed of plants. Tall trees and shrubs with lattice green leaves of every shape and size formed the impassable thickset. Green was just everywhere! "How the hell did I get into jungles?" he wondered, scowling. What happened? He vaguely remembered the latest events and couldn't find any adequate explanation. He rubbed his forehead, thinking over the situation. All right, then… In such cases he recalled the old made-up proverb he'd come up to long ago. "If something is absurd, check if your twin is around." He glanced over the setting and spotted something red in the bushes. Creeping up to the tangle and pulling the branches aside he located his brother's lying form under the palm, quietly snoring. Quod erat demonstrandum.

Dante lay on his back, his face upward, with one hand under his head and another over his stomach, Ebony and Ivory scattered in the grass not far away. A blade of grass was bending over his face under the weight of a bug that zealously tried to reach this interesting destination, but the strong measured breathing of sleeping demon kept blowing the haulm away, making the insect slide back down again and again. A Sisyphean task, indeed.

Vergil humphed and got to his feet, shaking his coat off the multiple ants and approached his peacefully dreaming twin. He thought about giving him a good kick but changed his mind after glancing up, a sinister smile forming on his lips. He sent a phantom sword up to the crown and watched the heap of coconuts rain down on unsuspecting devil.

"OOohhh!" Dante groaned when the first nut collided with his head. Half-awake and disarrayed, the half-demon tried to shield himself from unknown attacker, and somehow managed to box away a couple of nuts. "What the fuck?" he grimaced, slowly sitting up, clutching his head. Like hangover wasn't enough.. He lowered his gloved hands and looked at Vergil accusingly, wincing from pain.

"Haven't you heard that it's dangerous to lie under coconut palms?" Vergil inquired innocently.

"Oh yeah, especially when your sadistic brother is nearby." Dante retorted, rubbing his eyes. He glanced around and blinked. "What the.. What did you.." he faltered, gaping at the all-round greenery.

"Me?" Vergil snorted, watching him catch a blue butterfly by the wing and bring it to his eyes. "You are trying to say that I brought jungles and placed them around you?"

Dante shrugged his shoulders, rising to his feet and smoothing down his tousled hair. "I was just having a little booze when you showed up. And here I am in some tropics with you throwing coconuts at me. Does it look like I planned that?"

Vergil then remembered the portal. "Let me remind you of something. You were the one suggesting we check that damn portal." He stared at Dante angrily. "Dumb thrill seeker."

"Hey, I didn't enter it, did I? It just launched at us!" Well, it was true, that once at least. Though for Dante it was more likely to say that fence attacked his motorcycle rather than admit his habit of damaging the property of others.

Vergil muttered something unintelligible and started pacing the area, rubbing his temples. He really needed to blow off his frustration but this time he couldn't blame everything on Dante. How did that happen that he got stuck in an eerie place like that with his dunce twin? He couldn't even define their location – was it South America or Africa? Was it their original world or some parallel universe? And if it was the latter, what aspect would the local enemy assume then? He glanced around and settled his gaze on a parrot ruffling up on the branch a meter away. The bird looked at him curiously, tipping its head to the side, blinking. Looked pretty ordinary… His thoughts were interrupted by a short laugh.

"By the look of yours I was half-expecting this parrot to open its sharp-toothed jaws and jump at you with a terrific howl." Dante mocked, flipping the bug off his shoulder with a flick. "Relax, bro, I don't think there is something we should be afraid of. Of course if you don't fear butterflies and lianas". He smirked at the burning gaze of his brother and propped his elbow high against the trunk.

Suddenly he felt something touch his hand and looked up, his eyes going wide. Crawling down the caulome a thick and sticky stem of liana was rapidly twining around his arm, making him twitch and pull as he tried to jerk it away. It was too thick and strong. "Shit!" he cursed, his free hand groping his weapons on his back but never finding them. They were still lying in the grass. The liana reached his shoulder and was now dragging him up, another stalk coming out of the shrubs and trying to catch his other hand. Damn! It nearly grasped him when Dante managed to summon Rebellion. Catching the sword in the air he slashed the wild plant at two strokes, the winding snake-like stems flapping to the ground. "Chew on this!" He exclaimed, kicking the remains back into tangle.

Recovering his breath, Dante shook his hand in disgust as it was covered with greenish sticky liquid that slightly stung. Stepping away from the tree he turned to look at his brother, who'd never budged during the event. He stood there calmly, eyes blank, brows slightly raised as if he was expecting something other than what had just happened. Something more.. dramatic, maybe.

"Enjoyed the show, huh?" Dante asked spitefully, placing his sword behind his back. But what did he expect, really? Looked like nothing would make Vergil stir a finger when it came to anything besides his own self.

"Quite so – especially its first part", Vergil responded, giving him a derisive look. "So, what were you saying about lianas?.."

Dante snorted and turned away, crossing his hands over his chest. "Since you are that _observant_ you can tell me where we should go now."

"Of course," Vergil replied in an "isn't that obvious?" tone, pointing towards the mountain in the distance. "The elevation would help us to define our location."

"Great." Dante muttered and strode in the indicated direction, Vergil following aloof. When they disappeared among the trees, the color of liana's splattered liquid slowly turned from green to crimson..

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_...Was it expected or unexpected? The idea came to me out of nowhere.. And I really need to know your opinions to keep on._


	3. Chapter 3

**Capcom owns D & V.  
**Well, I know it's short but.. that's the way it is. Mind rebels and demands higher pay - I think I need to buy it some chocolate-)

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**Chapter 3**

They picked their way through the jungle in silence, which, of course, wasn't complete due to the random cries of various birds, rustle of grass and the sweeps of blades when they met a particularly knotty tangle. Dante was pondering over the aggressive flora. What kind of plant is attacking people? Insects – yes, he'd seen lots of that abnormally huge crap that managed to give him the creeps even after the years of slaying. Spiders were the nastiest thing he'd ever encountered, them trying to sluice their vile viscid webs over him. He shuddered. Or take this Gigapede – was it an insect, a reptile or both? He kept felling the plants, looking out for any kind of a track, but saw only green impassable thickset.

"Looks like a desert island". Dante observed, cutting another bunch of hanging lianas. He felt like a lumberjack. "No traces of a man."

"That's too early to make conclusions." Vergil responded, glancing round. "Humans are omnipresent. There is no place they would miss on their earth conquest."

"I hope so. Anyway, why do you think we are still in the human world? I don't remember any "Plants Attack!" headlines in the news."

Vergil shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Perhaps no one survived to tell."

Eventually they stepped into thinner tangle and could then move freely without using their swords. Dante gazed around at the bright foliage, feeling slightly captivated by that vivid surrounding. Of course he'd been places like that before. But it had always served as a background for his fights, obscuring his enemies from view and making him sneak in the tangles like a savage beast, ready to leap out and attack. No wonder he never paid any attention to the scenery. But this time was different. He wasn't on a mission and, what's more important, he wasn't on his own.

"You know, we're like tropical flowers here, Verge. Two big bright spots on the green." Dante observed cheerfully, casting a sideways glance at his gloomy brother.

Vergil rolled his eyes, obviously not accepting the idea of considering him anything as unsophisticated as flower.

"Though – just as if Dante had read his mind, – as a plant you'd be a cactus rather than flower. Your hair suits that well." He smirked.

"And you are just a weed, existing on any dung that comes from above. An ordinary parasite."

Here we came from flowers, Dante sighed. Fatal case, as he got it.

The air around was hot and humid so he pulled his leather coat off before it turned into Finnish bath, and flung it over his shoulder.

"Is it blood?" Vergil asked, noticing the red stains on Dante's arm. "How come you got wounded by a plant?" he scoffed, making Dante scowl.

"You tell me. You had a better view from your _lookout point_." Dante responded, studying the caked blood. Did it really get to him? Why hadn't he felt anything? Anyway the wound must have probably healed too quickly for him to notice. Sure it never occured to him that the blood could belong to someone else.

Suddenly he heard something click under his foot and looked up, freezing. The giant wooden frame set with long and sharp pickets fell down out of nowhere and was flitting towards him. Making a somersault to the side – the frame nearly brushing against his boot, Dante landed on the ground. Vergil appeared on the other side, having teleported away from Dante right at the sound, without waiting for any consequences to occur. Too many precedents. The frame was swooshing between them like a huge pendulum, slowly coming to a halt.

The place was quickly losing its relish to Dante.

"Could you at least watch your feet?" Vergil glared at him angrily over the swinging framing. "I don't feel inclined to being impaled just because of you gaping around."

"Hey, I didn't see it coming, okay?" Dante objected. "I thought it's empty!"

"..Like that head of yours?" Vergil inquired with causticity.

Dante glared at him and bent to take his coat off the ground. Vergil wouldn't get to him that way. In fact, it was Vergil who came off worst as Dante secretly enjoyed the whole situation despite his brother's constant irritation.

"Well then it's inhabited, which means there is a rationale for the whole affair". Vergil continued, watching Dante shake his coat off the dirt. "Should be, and I will get it."

"Something tells me the moron who hanged it there won't play parley with you." Dante presumed, when they went through another gap in the thickset.

"I will see that he plays anything I want." Vergil replied menacingly before hearing Dante mutter something like "..so scary" in a mock horror. Earning a hard shove into his back Dante chuckled and tried to grab at liana for support but missed and stumbled out of the tangle onto the little prairie. Regaining his balance he glanced around and stopped, so that Vergil nearly bumped into him.

"Hey, you.."

"Verge, look at this!"

Vergil glanced up and saw some toils hanging from the tree like a huge "drop" made of meshes.

"Someone got tough shit." Dante noted, taking in the outlines of a dark figure inside the net. Looked like they were not the only ones that got into a scrape.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Dante approached the "drop" and slowly circled it. It didn't move and Dante slightly pushed it with his index finger. The net began to sway easily and the captive let a quiet groan.

"It's alive." The half-devil announced and reached for his sword to free it but Vergil stopped him.

"Don't." he said. "We don't know what this is."

Dante thought that he had a point and pushed the toils again. "Hey!" he called. "Who are you?"

The "who" stirred a little and said something, which sounded somewhat angry. Dante didn't make out anything and frowned. If it didn't spoke English things would get lousy. They really needed any single piece of information about this place and that victim could know something useful. "Damn!" he cursed loudly as if that would improve the interaction. Well, sometimes it really did. "Who the hell are you?" he asked in an annoyed voice and shoved it again.

Now he made out every word that came out.

"Screw you!" the toils barked out in a male voice. "Let me out or I won't say anything! And don't push me!"

Dante gawked at the meshes and stepped back. He glanced at his brother with amusement, pointing his hand at the net as if asking "How do you like it?" Vergil gave him an unimpressed look. To him it was like another idiot got what he deserved. Or another thorn Dante picked up to stick into his long-suffering flesh.

"Leave him there. We don't have time for this." he said calmly and turned his head to the side, listening to the surrounding.

Dante turned to the boor and grabbed at the net.

"Look, buddy, I'm gonna rock this net like some merry-go-round and leave you spinning here for a couple of meteoric minutes." No sound came from the captive. He went rigid. "Kids seem to like those, maybe you'd also lighten up, don't you think?" Dante started to swing it and the "drop" spoke quickly.

"All right, all right, I got you." it said. "Name's Herbert! Newark, Jersey!" He blurted out. "Have no idea how I got here. I'm hanging like this for about three hours and every bone is aching like hell! Let me out!"

"Okay." Letting out a humph Dante took out his sword and cut the nets at the rope waist. The toils dropped to the ground with a thump and a groan as the person obviously bruised his seat of honour. Slowly sitting up the guy started to untangle the net, cursing.

"Here I thought life couldn't get any worse…." he muttered, trying to free himself from the meshes.

Taking it off his head - his chestnut hair disheveled - he looked up to see the barrel of Dante's gun pointed at him and screwed his sleepy eyes. He had probably dozed off by the time they found him. The guy looked about 20, average build, decently outlined face and large green eyes. Maybe too large for a guy but it didn't make him look girlish or else. Perhaps because of drooping eyelids as if he was overtired or extremely bored by something. He was wearing a dark shirt and a pair of blue jeans. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. The set was supplemented with lace boots.

"Guess I was wrong." he muttered. "Are you folks from around here?"

"No. You?"

"I've told you I'm not. Was walking home from college, entered the lane and the next moment I'm taking flight from those toothy orchard crops. And I'm sure I didn't smoke up!" he responded and scowled. "Why pointing the gun at me?"

"How would I know you are not a decoy-duck?"

The guy chortled and lifted his brows.

"Judging by the way you are both armed that duck should probably carry a grenade launcher or a couple of cartridge belts over its shoulders."

Dante studied the guy and lowered his gun, smiling. "You're right. What did you say your name was?"

"Herbert." the guy replied gloomily.

"Nice name you got here. I thought nowadays people call their kids something like Jack or John. Your parents were jesting, weren't they?"

The guy pursed his lips. "I wish they were. Mom was ecstatic about Herbert Wells. So I guess I didn't have much choice."

"That sounds familiar. Where have I heard that?" Dante turned to Vergil who listened to their conversation with an utterly bored look.

"War of the worlds." Was a phlegmatic answer.

"Oh really? Wasn't that Spielberg?" Dante asked in a confused tone. Vergil rolled his eyes and sighed. "Don't bother your head about it, Dante. It will get a stress crack."

Dante narrowed his eyes and turned away from him, muttering something.

"And it looks like I got my own version of The Island of Dr. Moreau." The guy sighed, shifting his gaze from Dante to Vergil and back. He blinked.

"Wow, twins." he finally figured, trying to stretch his legs. "Who's the evil one?"

He met Vergil's icy glare and gulped involuntarily. That was quite stupid to ask about the obvious.

"Oh, I see." He muttered. Dante noticed his confusion and glanced at his brother, nearly seeing the daggers Vergil glared at the guy. He smirked.

"You think it's him? Hell, no!" Dante grinned. "Vergil is an angel". Vergil looked at Dante, taken aback.

"It's just his nimbus is under repair now – got broken because of intensive goodness-spreading, you know." Dante could see Vergil's brows going up by the end of that statement while his hand was slowly closing around the hilt of Yamato.

The guy thought that Vergil had probably used that nimbus to strangle people rather than bless them with any grace, but kept his thoughts to himself.

"That's nice." he commented with a forced smile while getting into the squatting position and picking his backpack from under the nets. "Have any idea of what's going on here?" The guy opened it and took out a square device with a large display. "Though "here" is another bum-fucked Egypt." he added, turning it on.

"I was going to ask you the same question." Dante responded, watching the guy shake the device as if it wasn't working properly. "What's wrong?"

"If I'd only known… My GPS shows I'm at Plaza Monumental de las Ventas in Madrid." He said, scratching his head and giving them an astonished look. He looked up as if remembering something and returned to his device, his lips forming a one-side smile. "Never had a chance to watch a corrida so where are the bulls?.." he asked then in a strangely wistful voice.

The leaves in the bushes began to budge.

"I don't know how about bulls, but there is a .. " before Dante could finish a big boar sprang out of the shrubbery and rammed into the guys' legs at full throttle.

"..behind you." Dante finished and grimaced, watching the guy crumple up on the ground with a groan. The wild boar swept past amused Vergil and burst into the opposite bushes, loudly grunting and trumping over the cracking tangles. "At least boars are common-sized. You okay?"

"My GOD!.. What the hell was that?!" The guy moaned from the ground. "Haven't I got enough for today?" He wondered, his face covered by his hands.

"I'd better not kick back right now." Dante said and lent him a hand, lifting him off the ground. Something definitely worse was to follow. "Where were you going?"

"There was smoke in the air not far from here." He tried to stand though his knees were doubling up under him. "It's gone by now but there should be a source of it. I'm gonna find it." He hobbled to his sack and threw it over his shoulder. "And I'll kill that damn boar next time."

Dante chuckled and looked at Vergil who was contemplating over something. "You coming or what?"

"I adhere to the previous plan. There's no use to go further into jungles without knowing our position." Vergil replied.

"Oh come on. " Dante scowled. He didn't want to split up. No matter where they were it wasn't that bad with his brother on his side. Or at least when he wasn't an opposing party. "It's not that far. We'll check the smoke and go back to your damn mountain." He was waiting for the answer and that brought a flashback to Vergil's mind.

"_Come on, Verge, it's not that far! We'll be back before sunset.' Dante tugged at his sleeve, making his hand twitch and spoil the perfect writing. _

"_Damn you, Dante. Look what you did!" Vergil tore the faulty sheet out of his notebook. "I've told you I'm not going anywhere."_

_The day before Dante explored the abandoned building area and dropped his Walkman there. He noticed its absence only at home and was afraid Eva would get mad._

"_Why? It's just a short walk!" Dante watched him crumple the paper and throw it into the basket under the table._

"_No, I need to finish my homework." Vergil remained adamant. "Besides, it was you who lost it. Don't embroil me into your problems." _

"_Fine!" Dante snapped. "I hope you'll get D!" he yelled and walked out, slamming the door._

_Vergil snorted and returned to his writing. He never got D. _

_-- _

_Vergil cast a glance at his watch and scowled. The sun was already down but Dante hadn't showed up yet. Their mother would be home within an hour and would probably be worried about that dare-devil. Perhaps he should have gone with him. Their district wasn't the quietest one and being a half-demon wasn't a safe-conduct. He sighed heavily, looking through the window at the darkened streets. Damn him for always making them… no, not them – HER – worried. Vergil didn't want to be accused of anything that could happen to that half-wit, that's all. He glanced at his finished assignments and regretted having been so unhelpful. He waited for another fifteen minutes and made a decision. He descended the stairs and walked to the front door, intending to go find his hapless brother when the door suddenly opened and Dante tumbled inside. Vergil's eyes went wide. "What happened?!" he asked and was going to approach him but Dante lifted his hand, stopping him_.

"_None of your business." He growled, leaning against the wall for support. He looked like he'd got into the epicentre of explosion. His clothes were dirty and torn, hands black and blue from the bruises. His face was also dirty, the cheekbone cut open, bleeding slightly. Judging by the amount of blood on his shirt he had other wounds that had already healed by the time he got home. _

"_No it is." Vergil watched him slide down the wall to the floor and squatted down nearby. "Who did that?"_

"_Doesn't matter. Guess I stepped into their territory." Dante shrugged his shoulders and stood up slowly, wincing from pain. "They were probably guarding something. So many guns and knives." Vergil felt his heart sink at the mental sight of what had happened. Dante couldn't beat off all of them alone. He shouldn't have let him go on his own._

"_Who did that?" he asked again, his voice deadly serious._

_Dante limped to the stairs past Vergil and grabbed at the handrail. _

"_Why do you care? Go back to your homework." he said before dragging himself up the stairs, his voice lacking any emotion. Vergil followed him with his eyes, feeling confused and... guilty._

"_Vergil!"_

Vergil shook his head and looked at his brother.

"Earth to Vergil. Are you here?" Dante called, smiling. "So what's the verdict?"

"All right." Vergil replied before realizing it. He walked past Dante and into the tangles where Herbert disappeared a minute ago.

Dante followed him, slightly amazed. What made him change his mind?

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_What do you think?_


	5. Chapter 5

**The Disclaimer: **Capcom owns D & V.  
Hey there.. Err, looks like I finally got here. Those assignments.. Anyway I put this chapter here just to check if you guys stayed in touch. Tell me what you think and I'll update sooner.**

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**Chapter** **5**

Twenty minutes later Vergil deeply regretted his decision. Garrulous Dante was one thing but the ceaseless blab of the two was quite another. He sighed.

"So that was portal." Herbert raised his brows skeptically. Dante shrugged his shoulders. "Okaaay" the guy stretched the word thoughtfully, trying to comprehend everything Dante had told him. The half-demon got eventually tired of his fiddling with "damned broken" GPS and gave him a brief version of their situation. Version his brains refused to take seriously. After all, portals and giant swords weren't a part of his everyday life. He used to read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy stuff in his days and wouldn't actually mind being able to go through space like princes of Amber did but it wasn't something that happened in real life, right?

Though all-round greenery proved otherwise. And the difference was those princes could make it willingly and anytime they wanted.

"..but if that "portal" of yours doesn't show up, how do we get back?" the guy gave up, not knowing what to think.

"We don't." Dante replied casually. The guy paled slightly. "But there is a sequence of actions I usually follow that never let me down: got into trouble – find the moron responsible for the mess and whop his ass." He smirked. "That nearly always undoes all his doings."

Vergil scoffed at the observation.

"I'm afraid you have missed one substantial point, brother. In most cases the only person you should blame for your hardships…" - he paused and muttered "_as well as mine" _before continuing. "…is your own self."

"Aww..." Dante gave him a tired here-we-go-again look. "Have I ever set you up?"

Vergil stared at him dumbstruck. "Do you really want me to recite every single time you had?" he questioned menacingly. Dante's smile faded.

"I guess not.." he replied, scratching his head. "And you know what they say?" he added more cheerfully. "Let bygones be bygones. Besides, you're still alive and kicking, aren't you?"

"The way you justify your faults never ceases to amaze me." Vergil sighed and shook his head.

"It's a talent." Dante smirked at him when the human cut in.

"But.. what if we don't find that "moron"?" the guy kept creating tension for himself.

"Then you will end up as pabulum for aboriginal fauna." Vergil turned his "benevolent" attention to the human. He was becoming annoyed with that sensitive human Dante decided to take along. Couldn't they dispense with that nuisance? The last thing they needed was another duffer loafing about and actuating the snares.

Herbert threw a startled glance at Vergil and ceased all the questioning.

"Don't worry, we'll think of something." Dante gave him a reassuring smile. Vergil could grumble all he wanted but he sure didn't need another sullen companion. His brother seemed to carry his personal storm cloud above his head whereas everything around was bright with sunlight. His gloomy emanations were strong enough to force tears from any dry stick but Dante had acquired immunity a long time ago and easily repulsed it.

Despite his constant discontent Dante somewhat enjoyed their joint walkthrough despite its being forced. Vergil's presence gave him a feeling – false as it might be – of security. When you know that your back door is locked on a scary night when it's thundering outside. And peace. Something you sense only when having the one you care about close to you. Those moments were few and far between though, filled with action and abuse. Dante sighed. His brother did everything possible to show his enmity towards him. But it wasn't always that way.

While at school they bickered and battled on a regular basis in class but at the end of the day one waited for the other to go home. Together, side by side. Both knew that no matter how many blows they exchanged, what insults threw in each other's face – when needed their twin would be at their side. The most reliable ally you can ever imagine. And Dante believed that nothing would ever change that. Oh he was wrong.. But was he, really? A small sparkle of hope deep inside his heart wasn't going to give up.

He glanced at Herbert and pondered over their current conditions. He kept one simple – but not at all safe – option in his mind. He and Vergil could use their amulets to open a portal. For a short time and leading to Hell – no matter what world they were in at the moment, their mother's gift would bring them into the place of its origin – and use it as a buffer to get back to their world. After all, he knew Hell better than those god-forsaken jungles. But that wasn't an option for the human – the Underworld is not something mortals could use as a transshipment point. He should at least try to find another way out.

Being engrossed in his thoughts Dante didn't pay any attention to the surrounding so it was Vergil who caught a slight noise coming from the bushes they'd past by. A rustle of leaves, followed by a faint…roaring. He turned around in a flash, drawing his katana, to see a black panther spring out from the greenery. In a slow motion he watched its mouth go wide, baring the sharp fangs as it covered the short distance between them in one leap, ready to plunge its claws into his chest and rip it open.

The glimpse in the air hardly even registered in the creature's mind as Vergil met the panther with a large strike of Yamato, dividing the animal into two parts. Dante turned around, followed by the guy just to get the blood spurt a broad stripe precisely across their faces. Dante raised his brows and looked down at the animal's upper body that landed a meter away.

"Impressive." He smirked, his white teeth flashing on a blood-spattered face. "Looks like the fauna went to take your offer."

The guy though was utterly shocked, eyes wide and filled with terror. He brought a shaking hand to his face, saw the blood on his fingers and nearly fainted. Dante managed to catch him just when his legs gave way and leaned him against the tree. The human slowly slipped down to the ground, eyes staring into the void.

Dante gave Vergil a semi-accusatory look as he squatted down next to the lad.

"Bravo, Vergil, you frightened the kid." He clicked his tongue in disapproval and gave the guy a few light slaps on the face. "Couldn't you do it in a more..well.." he searched for the right word in his mind.

"…Aesthetically approved way?" Vergil suggested. Dante nodded. "Well, next time I'll step aside and watch you dispose of it." Vergil snorted, shaking the blood off the blade and sheathing it in his usual elegant way.

"Well it wouldn't be the first time you do so, bro, would it?" Dante lifted his chin, looking at him pointedly as if switching their roles of accusers.

Vergil said nothing as his icy eyes moved from Dante to the stunned mortal. "At least now I have a minute of silence." He sneered.

Dante glared at his brother and returned to the half-conscious guy. "Verge's trying to make an impression of a cold-hearted brute." He said to Herbert in a semi-confidential tone, tilting his head towards Vergil who narrowed his eyes at him. "But inside he's all sooo goody-goody, believe me." He accompanied his words with an assuring nod.

Vergil shook his head and turned away with a huff, missing a wide grin on Dante's face.

"Yeah, right." Not so pale already Herbert gave them a mistrustful glance and awkwardly stood up, trying to wipe the blood from his face with his sleeve. "That's awful." He pulled a face, observing the panther's body parts.

"Awful is what Uwe Boll shoots. THIS is not awful" Dante responded with a knowledgeable air as they resumed their walk.

Looking around for any other friendly creatures he noticed something in the tangles.

"Hey, that's a funny flower." He grinned and Vergil saw the giant orange urceole-looking flower with blue streaks. He grimaced.

"You are not possibly going to pick flowers now, are you?" he asked in a growing exasperation_._ He definitely needed to feed Dante to the local predators. Otherwise he would soon be over the edge.

Herbert turned to have a look as well and twisted his lips at the painfully familiar plant. It was the first thing he saw as he opened his eyes in the New World. The acquaintance was very invigorating..

"Don't touch this one! It BITES!!" he barked out.

"Really?" Dante raised his brows and walked towards the flower to see for himself. Vergil rolled his eyes wondering at that morbid curiosity he himself seemed to lack. Even in childhood. He could never understand his brother's unremitting love for putting nonsensical questions and going all the wayto confirm or refute his hypotheses**.** One of the substantial questions of the day was "Could the huge rottweiler break loose from its chain if Dante managed to enrage it to a certain degree by prancing about and provoking the animal?" Unfortunately, it could. Vergil passed his hand over his face in a tired manner. That was his favorite pair of pants… Thanks Lord it didn't bite off anything else. Anything.. more vital. And another question he should have asked himself back to those days – How come his unreasonable twin had always contrived to drag his presumably more conscious and intelligent older brother into his foolish ventures?!

Before he could reach the plant, Dante tripped over something – to Vergil's gloating – and barely regained his balance. "Damn!" he cursed before turning and kicking the obstacle from out of the grass. A white and elongated object landed directly under Herbert's feet, making him look down and frown. He picked the thing up to see its unmistakable outlines.

"It's a bone!" he exclaimed, examining it with curiosity.

Vergil narrowed his eyes.

"And it's human." He noted, remembering the anatomic organization he had once studied. "Tibia, to be more specific."

The guy looked down at his own leg curiously. "It's so clean." He ran his fingers over the smooth surface. "Just as if it was washed or…"

"…licked." Vergil finished, watching the fright flash across his face with satisfaction. What an ass, Dante thought to himself, sighing. What was so pleasant about the display of someone's weaknesses remained a mystery to him.

The guy dropped the bone.

"Cannibals??" he looked around wildly, scared.

"Why cannibals?" Dante forgot about the flower and approached him "Just some wild animal."

"No! No animal would work it up this thoroughly." Herbert took the bone and shoved it into Dante's hands. "And there are teeth marks. Not fangs, but teeth."

"So what?" Dante dandled the bone before tossing it over his shoulder, unimpressed. "Does it change anything? Might as well be a spoor of a snowman, so? We're stuck here anyway."

"I.. I think I don't want to know where that smoke came from". The guy gulped. "I don't want to be eaten."

"Relax, dude" Dante gave him a hearty slap on the back, nearly sending him flying forward. "They should have a hell of a jaw to eat someone like us."

"I see." the youngster coughed, regaining his balance. "But that isn't really comforting."

--

It was getting dark and they needed to find a place to spend the night. There was no way they could avoid those multiple traps in the darkness. The half-demons could fairly orient themselves in the night, but the human would certainly be lost and end up caught into a snare or trigger something that would impale all of them. Finally they stepped onto a small flat area surrounded by heavy tangles and trees. Any movement from outside wouldn't go unnoticed.

Herbert tossed his back pack on the ground when his stomach suddenly rumbled. He remembered having only coffee for the dinner. All because of that bitch..

"I'll go find something to chew." He went to the breach in the tangles they came from. "I saw bananas back there". Getting no reply he disappeared into the bushes while the half-devils tried to make themselves comfortable under the trees on the opposite sides so they were facing each other. Dante noticed his brother's sullen expression. What pissed him off this time? He was so easy to rile.. He smirked.

"Hey, Verge, I've always wondered about one thing." He suddenly exclaimed. Vergil looked up, expecting something extraordinary stupid. "Cannibals are those who feed on others of its kind, right?"

"Yes. So?" Vergil frowned.

"Would that make them cannibals if they ate us? They are humans, but we're not."

"We are half-ones".

"Yeah, like.. centaurs? Does eating a centaur make you a cannibal? Or is it just a horse meat?"

"What??" Vergil gawked at him for a couple of moments, contemplating over the received information before making a grimace. How could he even let those nonsensical things enter his sane consciousness? "Dante, you are driving me insane!"

"But there is a point, don't ya think?" Dante tried to build some basis under his theory but Vergil brushed him off and crossed his arms over his chest, closing his eyes. Shutting Dante out. Damn him and his ridiculous questions!

Dante grinned and took out his pistols, placing them on the ground next to him. That was going to be a long night..


	6. Chapter 6

_Thanks to all who reviewed! __This means a lot.

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**Chapter 6**

Herbert was making his way through the bushes towards the place he was sure he had noticed bananas hanging low above the ground. Listening to the surroundings he remembered the whole chain of events that brought him to that strange place.

--

"Hey, Bertie!" he heard when he came out of the History class. He inwardly cursed and turned to see that shaggy-haired truant that kept sleeping away the first two classes.

"How many times I told you not to call me that?" he questioned tiredly. "What?"

"As if "Herbert" is better." Sam replied. "Got some good news for you."

"What's that?"

"You're our goalie for the next match."

"No shit?" he gaped at him while they were walking towards the cafeteria.

"Yeah, coach decided to keep Jake out for awhile."

That's where it all started. He couldn't help but ask why Jake had been kicked and it turned out that he'd been late for almost every training over the past week, had a little concentration and lousy reaction. Coach kept yelling at him during the last two ones before kicking him out of the ice. "If you can't keep your damn hormones in check, there's no way you stay on the team!" He shouted before shoving him into the locker and closing the door.

Herbert was surprised to hear that. He missed the last two trainings – just on principle. Why would he stick around, warming the bench when they didn't let him play? But apparently Fortuna decided to turn around for a bit and give him a chance.

They took their table and Herbert resumed their talk

"I didn't know Jake had a girlfriend." His friend dropped his gaze on the table.

"Bert" he said, and paused.

"What?"

"I heard something yesterday. I guess I know why they keep acting like morons when someone mentions you."

Herbert grimaced. He noticed something strange going on the team lately. Rips of laughter behind his back and jokes he couldn't quite make sense of.

"_Wanna know why coach doesn't trust you? There is a puck in your goal you don't see."_

That bothered him but not seriously. After all, he was the one on the bench when everyone else was skating. Soon he would replace Jake and the jokes would be over.

"You know, I don't really care. Let them laugh if they want."

"I think you should ask your girlfriend." Sam said as if didn't hear his reply.

Herbert frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Sam didn't look at him. "I think they all knew who kept Jake busy at.."

"Shut up! How could you know that?" Herbert cut him off and moved away, looking at him disbelievingly. Or maybe… Despite his indignation he knew that his friend could be right but refused to admit that. She couldn't betray him like that. He trusted her. He…

"That could be any girl. Why her?" he asked with less confidence.

"How often do you see each other?" Apparently his friend had no doubt about that. He was absolutely serious.

"Well, she said her history project takes all the time and she has to.. " Herbert realized everything and covered his face with his hands, inhaling deeply and holding his breath.

"Sorry, dude. But I thought you should know."

Herbert remained still for a while, trying to comprehend everything he heard. No, that wasn't real. She and Jake.. Oh, God.

"It's okay" he sighed, finally dropping his hands down on the table, his face suddenly looking drawn. "Everything makes sense now." He said dryly as he stood and grabbed his backpack.

"You leaving?"

"Yeah, I need some time alone. Tell Mr. Bevin I feel sick."

He left the school and headed towards her house. Perhaps he shouldn't make judgments before asking her. Give her a chance to justify herself. Prove them all wrong. But as he walked everything he had tried to keep away flooded into his mind. Who was he bluffing? The way she behaved, the things she said. Or blushed when he mentioned Jake – everything spoke of the opposite. _Puck in my goal._ He pursed his lips in resentment. Screw them all! He felt so humiliated at the moment. Everyone knew but him. How could he be so blind?

He stepped into a darkened empty alley and dropped his backpack, leaning against the wall. Slowly he slid down to the ground, hiding his face in his hands once again. He replaced Jake on the ice whereas Jake replaced him somewhere else. _Fair swap, wasn't it?_ He already heard them say. How would he face his team again? His eyes started to fill with angry tears as he imagined the looks they would give him from behind their visors.

Suddenly he realized he was on the point of crying and tried to collect himself, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. The coach was right. He was a crappy goalkeeper.

He stood up and picked his bag, deciding to go home instead of ruining his day further with an argument. But before he made another step the ground disappeared under his feet and everything went black.

The next thing he remembered he awoke in the jungles.

--

He watched the bug flew from one flower to another and sighed, feeling depressed and empty. He wanted to go home, to see his family but at the same time part of him wanted to never go back.

He let out a sniffing sound and drew another vegetative curtain aside when it hit him. His new acquaintances had cut mercilessly through the greenery like axemen but here he was, forcing a path through a newly grown tangle. That's impossible, he thought, frowning. How could it grow so quickly? Was he lost? He slowly turned around, looking for any marks that could be left. He noticed a couple of sword cuts but they were fading while he was looking at them! Oh, shit! He looked down at the grass which was slowly rising at the spots his boots had left and felt an urgent need to go back to those two weirdos.

--

"Maybe we should make a fire?" Dante wondered dozily. The quickly gathering darkness was making him nervous as there were no stars on the sky. The night was going to be pitch-black.

"The fire would attract notice of the enemy we know nothing about." Vergil responded. "Does it sound like a wise decision to you?"

Dante shrugged his shoulders.

"But I need to see that enemy if they attack. Isn't it a good reasoning?"

"No." Was a short answer.

Dante huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. He felt bored, sleepy and…

"Damn, I'm hungry." He suddenly said.

Vergil rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.

"Do you ever shut up? Go and find fruits." He closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the tree behind his back.

"I don't eat fruits, I'm not a grass-feeding animal."

"At least you admit that you are an animal. The faculties of your mind prove so."

Dante glared at him before remembering their new acquaintance.

"Speaking of fruits, where is that lad?"

"Battles with the boar apparently."

"I'm serious. He should already be back."

"I neither know nor do I care." Vergil replied nonchalantly. Dante gave him a strange look.

"You really don't give a damn about anyone but yourself, do you, Vergil?"

"So?"

"One day everybody will turn their back on you."

Vergil scoffed, giving him a thank-you-for-the therapy session look. "If that means I'll be left alone then that is my dearest wish."

"Be careful what you wish for cause it might come true_."_

Vergil looked at him quizzically when the tangles parted and Herbert tumbled on the ground, panting.

"Damn this place, I want to go home!!" He nearly yelled, shrugging bugs and grass off his clothes like a madman.

"Hey, calm down." Dante called, too lazy to lift his lower part off the ground. "Where are the bananas?"

"To hell with the bananas! Everything you cut down grew back again. There's no path!" words came out between gasps. "I had to... follow the stumps that hadn't overgrown yet. By now they had probably disappeared!"

"Plants are growing anew?" Dante raised his brows, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his outstretched legs. "Huh, this place is full of tricks." But he couldn't see what was so terrible about that. It's not like they were following the way back.

The guy looked at him bewildered. How could they remain so calm? Is that common for them?

"Okay we'll think of that problem in the morning." Dante sighed as he noticed his expression. "Because all we need now is to live through the night." He knew he sounded dramatic but the human had fewer chances than the half-devils. So let him be prepared. "Come on, take that spot. " Dante pointed to the place between him and Vergil. If he and Vergil denoted 12 and 6 on the dial, that would be 3.

Herbert nodded silently and moved to the indicated spot, settling himself a little closer to Dante, earning a scornful smile from the older twin.

"Take it." Suddenly Dante threw him one of his guns and looked surprised when Herbert caught it easily in midair.

"Heh, nice reaction you got there." He nodded approvingly.

"I'm a goalie, after all." Herbert replied sadly as the events of the morning were brought to him again.

"Girlie?" Dante couldn't quite make out what he said. Oh, if he was a "girlie" that would make their little company quite awkward… Vergil would certainly flee from them into the jung…

"G-O-A-Lie. I'm a goalkeeper." Herbert snapped. He got enough mockery for one day.

"Oh, hockey? That's cool." Dante smiled. "You said New-Jersey. Aiming for the Devils?"

"Yeah, with any luck."

"You don't watch hockey." Vergil remarked before Dante could reply.

"No, I do sometimes. Devils are great."

"Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Dante gave him a broad grin. "They are red. And they are devils." When Vergil scoffed he added. "That is what you expect, right?"

Vergil narrowed his eyes at him but said nothing. The younger half-demon smirked and regretted it was becoming hard to see his twin's expression as it was getting darker with every minute. Soon he would not be able to see farther than his legs plus one or two meters. Of course he would discern moving figures but what if they were green?

They sat silently for the next hour or so, listening to the surrounding when Dante noticed the guy was clearly nodding off, his head dropping on his chest from time to time. To be honest, that chirr of cicadas and relative silence were making him drowsy as well. That would do no good. He shook his head and blinked violently, jerking himself awake.

"Vergil." He called quietly.

"What?" Judging by his voice, his brother didn't suffer from the sleepiness at all.

"We'd better sleep in shifts. One on the watch, okay? I'll be the first."

"To sleep?" Vergil taunted.

"No. I'll stay on the lookout."

"I do not plan to fall asleep any time soon." Vergil said calmly, "But even if I do your snore will awaken me right away."

"Whatever. Your turn is next." Dante replied angrily and turned to Herbert. "You can go to-" He trailed off when he noticed that the guy was already full asleep. Lucky guy.

Dante crossed his arms over his chest and ordered his brains and eyes to stay alert. He even straightened in his sitting position. Forty minutes later he realized he couldn't keep that position for long. He stretched his arms and dropped them on the ground, leaning against the tree. Another hour passed. He wanted to sleep. Badly. His eyelids became heavy and he had to blink more frequently to drive that persistent Morpheus away. And he had no one to talk to.

"Verge..." He called quietly but got no reply. Huh! That bastard either fell asleep or decided to ignore him completely. Son of a…

His eyes closed for a second, too sleepy to open up again when out of nowhere something thin wrapped around his neck and tightened up, pressing him against the tree and preventing oxygen from getting to his lungs_. Wha..._ His hands flew up to his neck, trying to pull at the thin string to ease its pressure but someone behind the tree used it as a support to tighten it even more, suffocating him. _He should… call for..__.__ Vergi__l__…_


	7. Chapter 7

**The Disclaimer: **Yeah, yeah, Capcom owns these guys.  
_Thanks to all the reviewers! I wouldn't make it this far if it wasn't for you! Hope this chapter is decent enough. Tell me what you think)_

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**Chapter 7**

Feeling the string tighten around his neck and being unable to make any sound Dante tried to grope for his guns but couldn't find any. His consciousness was hazing over but he tried to gather the remains of his energy and trigger. He felt the power charges begin to accumulate within but the process went unusually slowly. Maybe it was because of his tiredness, maybe the world had its own laws but he almost blacked out when the surge of power washed over him.

The blast broke the string, illuminating the clearing for a moment, and Dante was thrown forward to the ground, gasping for air. His demonic form quickly dissipated as it drained a good amount of his strength. Coughing he tried to lift himself off the grass when the attacker leaped at him from behind and tried to tackle him to the ground.

"No way… buddy." Dante breathed out as he elbowed him in the gut. The attacker eased his grasp around his neck for a second and Dante used it to grab him by something that was covering his body and toppled him over his shoulder down to the ground. The earth was still spinning as he used those moments to partially renew the normal flow of air into his lungs.

"Vergil.." he forced the name finally as he groped the hardly visible enemy and gave him a header he could manage at the moment, nearly crumpling at the rapid movement. It was like a drunken haze and he really needed at least a minute of respite. Suddenly another shadow threw itself at him. "Oh shit." he cursed, finding himself on the grass again and trying to kick the night visitor off. "Vergil!" he croaked between kicks and punches. Damn it, was he alive??

A single summoned sword flashed out of nowhere and pierced the attacker that lifted his hand to strike Dante again. He collapsed to the side as the clatter of sword breaking was followed by the muffled voice.

"Well, you see.. " he heard the irritated tone and felt so relieved that didn't notice another figure leap at him. "..I'm a little busy at the moment."

Dante headbutted his attacker in the face and strained his neck to look back from his lying position. He realized that the other side of the clearing was also full of activity as he discerned the moving contours of the people that were engaged in a tough fight. He threw the opponent off and turned over, getting on all fours before slowly lifting himself up.

"Huh." He breathed out and bent aside, when another swung his arm at him. Damn it! "How many are there?" he called.

He heard Vergil growl something unprintable and had to dodge a large sphere of purple energy which was suddenly thrown into the centre of the glade. It lit up the surroundings for a couple of seconds, making Dante realize that they were encircled. Dark silhouettes were slipping out of the tangles and moving towards them, holding long sticks or lances – he couldn't say for sure – in their hands. Two were on him and four more were nearing. Where the hell did they come from??

"Thanks." He noticed a movement nearby and gave it roundhouse kick, throwing it into the tree and knocking it out. "One's down.." He took a step back, regaining his balance as he was still suffering from the aftereffects of the strangling and several punches taken in the chest. He lifted his fists in front of him, swaying slightly but ready to take out another one nonetheless when he remembered about his scattered guns. Oh, crap! His night vision was finally beginning to kick in but how could he spot his pistols in the dark grass? Not that he felt unarmed but those guns were like prolongations of his own hands and now he was like a lightweight boxer in a hand-to-hand combat. Very lightweight, he thought as he let out a cough.

Something flew into the tangles inches from him, and he felt a warm liquid spatter on his arm. Of course, unlike him Vergil never let go of his katana. He sure slept with his arms around it. He evaded a lance stab coming from the right before swinging his arm and blowing the enemy in the face. Seizing an opportunity he summoned Rebellion and started to slowly spin it in a Prop shredder, waiting for the freaks to come. The familiar weight in his hand significantly changed the ball game for him, taking away the feeling of being a blind wounded wolf hunted by a group of small gun dogs. Hitting one of the enemies, he dashed forward and stabbed another one in the stomach. A loud groan that came out of the man had probably made the rest of the attackers reconsider their options as they slowly started to back off and into the tangles, eventually disappearing from his sight.

It ended so quickly that Dante couldn't believe they were gone. He took a deep breath, enjoying the sensation of air freely ventilating his lungs and peered into the dark tangles, but they remained still, and he slowly lowered the sword. What was all that about?

He looked around at the bodies and noticed that one of the corpses was slowly moving. So, the freak was alive, huh? He could take up a couple of questions then. Wait… His eyes slowly widened as he realized that it wasn't the body that was moving, but the stems of liana that were entangling the dead man and dragging him into the bushes. It disappeared among the tangles and the half-devil heard the sickening sounds of the flesh being torn along with something which resembled ...champing. Dante's jaw dropped as he gaped at the scene, trying to apprehend the situation. Holy f…

Suddenly something grabbed his hand and he couldn't help but jump and shriek as his composure finally shattered.

"Stop yelling, it's me." Vergil growled and had to take hold of him as the loud sound ended in coughs, making Dante bend forward slightly and press his hand to his neck.

"Dude… Never do that again!" He uttered hoarsely as Vergil let go of him.

"Feeble, aren't you?" he questioned but Dante ignored him.

"Have you seen that?" Dante pointed at the spot where the body had disappeared. The squelching sounds could still be heard and he shuddered at the mental picture of the bloody repast. Yuck! He looked around to see if there was any further moving of the plants. "Where the hell are we? I'm sick of all that shit."

Vergil didn't reply and just stared at the bushes with no particular expression on his face.

"Did you even hear me?"

"What do you want from me?" Vergil grimaced at him. "Our options are limited or, as you have stated it earlier, "We are stuck here anyway"". He taunted, sheathing Yamato.

"Is that all?" Dante looked at him in disbelief.

"Well, now we can build the fire you wanted so much." He scoffed. "We still have several hours to sleep."

"Yeah, right. Like hell I'm going anywhere near those trees. Besides, I don't have any matches." Dante replied, wondering if there was any sense in their conversation.

Vergil sighed and picked up one of the lances left behind by the attackers. He pointed it at Dante.

"Trigger."

"What?"

"I said trigger."

"Why the.." Dante grimaced but his brother's glare stopped him. He sighed and triggered his devil form. This time it went a lot quicker. Perhaps because nothing was restraining it? The end of the stick caught a small fire as it appeared to be within the energy field that surrounded the half-demon. Dante returned to his human form and stared bluntly at the smoking stick before looking up at his brother. Vergil raised an eyebrow.

"What? Should I add "abracadabra"?" Vergil remained absolutely imperturbable but Dante was absolutely sure that he fought hard to keep his countenance. His lips were twitching.

Dante let out a doleful sigh and snatched the lance away from him.

"What is so funny, you nutcase?" he inquired. "Plants are eating people and we are standing here like two idiots playing at fakirs".

Vergil let out a short laugh.

"Well, it isn't often that I'm granted an opportunity to see a confused expression on your face. It truly is amusing." Dante pursed his lips.

"Whatever turns you on, dude". He broke off a couple of branches that seemed dry enough and lit them from the lance before placing them on the ground. Going for another batch of wood he realized that something wasn't right. He turned around and inspected the surrounding before settling his gaze on Vergil who hadn't moved since their little trick.

"The kid." He said in a voice which suddenly became raucous.

"What?"

"The kid is missing."

Vergil frowned and looked at the spot where the human had rested an hour before but only saw a backpack which was lonely lying on the ground.

"We have to find him." Dante was getting angry at himself for never thinking about the human which was no match for those aborigines. Damn it! He didn't hear a single sound coming from him and now had to wonder whether he could still be alive.

"Very well." Vergil nodded. Dante looked at him quizzically. "Come on. Collect your belongings and let us take the field." He waved his sheathed katana enthusiastically. Dante just kept staring at him like a person, who found out that his cat was able to play Chopin's Military Polonaise.

"Oh... right." Vergil suddenly made a sad face, confusing him all the more. "You have no idea where to go…What a predicament!" He said dramatically and pouted his lips in a mock sympathy. Dante narrowed his eyes at him.

"Stop that, you ass." He growled as he picked the backpack from the ground. "We can't leave him there. I need to bring him back."

"And how exactly are you planning to go about it?" Vergil inquired. "There is nothing you can do. Accept it."

"No." Dante replied and scratched his head, pondering over something. "There is one option."

Vergil arched a brow.

"I would let them take me the next time they attack. They would probably try it again soon."

"What?" Vergil stared at him, bewildered.

"Yeah" Dante nodded, looking sideways, as if assuring himself. "They will take me to the place where the kid is. And we will make it out together."

"Very smart." Vergil scoffed. "They will kill you and feed to the plants."

"No, they won't. They could leave his body here but they didn't, which means they need him for something and I will find out what exactly."

Vergil was silent for a moment, studying him with a mixed expression.

"And what if your plan falls down?"

"Well.." Dante grinned broadly. "Then you will come and save me, my valiant knight."

Vergil rolled his eyes.

"No way am I getting involved." He said coldly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Do as you wish but do not expect me to meddle in."

A strange expression appeared on Dante's face but he didn't say anything.

"Of course." he shrugged his shoulders before returning to his sleeping place and leaning against the tree. He tried not to think about his brother's words but it somewhat pained him that even in words Vergil refused to help him. No joking, no mocking. Just plain truth. At any rate he would find the human and figure out what was going on. Something told him that it was the only way to get out of this place.

Vergil watched him settle for the night again before heading for his own position.

The neglected branches were quickly burning away, turning into ashes. For no reason Vergil couldn't look away from his brother who placed his arms under his head with his eyes closed. Soon the last of the coals went out, concealing Dante's face from his sight and bringing the darkness upon them again.

Vergil didn't need any sleep. He would certainly hear any attacker and would watch the whole foolishness his rash brother planned. He wouldn't miss something like that for the world – his brother not lifting a finger against his attackers. That would be really something to see.

Half an hour later tiredness began to creep up to him. But he couldn't allow himself to sleep. He must stay awake.. – he closed his eyes for a couple of seconds.. – and stop… No! He opened his eyes and tried to drive away the foggy thoughts. What was he thinking about? Watch. He would only watch… he let his eyes close again and snapped them open to see that it was already morning.

He blinked and jolted up, nearly falling from the sudden movement and hitting his back against the tree. His startled gaze was fixed on the opposite side of the clearing.

Dante was gone.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Disclaimer: Capcom owns D & V.  
**_Hey guys! I want to thank **Eric Draven201**,** Darkyu**, **Vampire Queen**,** Zieg Strife** and **siri227** who reviewed the previous chapter. You really made my day and kicked that lazy muse so he finally decided to show up (hope he didn't mess up). _**

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**Chapter 8**

Dante was fighting. Hard. With demons that looked strangely like humans enmeshed in lianas. They were reaching out for him with their hands and sticky stems that were twisting and coiling like some freaky sort of tentacles. One of them touched his leg and he jumped back with a disgusted yelp, groping for his guns to realize he was unarmed.

"Oh, fuck…" he muttered, backing away from the advancing crowd before a loud voice shouted just near his ear, making him turn around with a crazed look.

"WAKE UP!!"

At that moment the whole crowd leaped at him, knocking him down to the ground.

"Ahhh!! Get away from me!" Dante was throwing his limbs in all directions, beating and kicking off the enemies. Suddenly everything was gone and Dante realized that he was half-lying on the ground, hands bound behind his back and to the pole whereas his legs were still fighting the invisible enemy, pedaling the air. He dropped the active limbs and drew in a deep breath, trying to calm down.

"Ugh, damn." he shook his head and gazed around until his eyes settled on the familiar human that mirrored his position a meter away from him on the right.

"Hey there." he winked, relieved. The kid was alive and that was a good thing to start with.

The guy gulped and nodded silently, obviously still under effects of his yells. He looked pale and exhausted and Dante wondered what could have happened to him. They were sitting on the timber deck that covered a small area of 3x5 metres. Three poles were driven into the platform, and two of them were occupied by the human and the half-devil. The area was surrounded by the same tangles and bushes, except for a giant baobab that was oddly sticking out of the ground just in front of Dante. It discorded with the scenery and the demon presumed it was there on purpose. He heard a convulsive sigh and turned to Herbert.

"You okay?" he asked. The guy nodded slowly but then shook his head.

"What happened? They did something to you?"

The guy opened his mouth but shut it right away. His eyes widened comically as if he was pondering something absurd in his head, deciding whether he should tell it or not.

"You wouldn't believe it if I told ya" he finally said, shaking his head.

"Try me." Dante replied as he studied the baobab. Three people would hardly encompass it. It was blocking his view and was starting to get on his nerves. Couldn't they choose another flat area without that enormous tree? It didn't make any sense. Of course he wasn't like that perfectionist of his brother, who used to tick him off by his attention to the things he never cared about. Like straightening the sheets where they crumpled or folded, even if he was going to lie down after that. Removing everything that was out of key. But that plant really bothered him. He slipped down the pole a bit and kicked the tree slightly. "Why didn't they cut this crap down?"

Herbert let out a nervous laugh and Dante turned to him.

"What?"

"You know, it wasn't there when they brought you".

"What?" Dante stared at him in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

"It had grown just minutes before you woke up."

"Yeah, right." Dante mocked. "How long have I been out? A decade?"

"Um.. An hour or so."

"So you mean it grew in just an hour?"

"Actually it took about 15 minutes." Herbert sounded absolutely calm, as if he himself grew the baobabs in the backyard every day.

"You're kidding me, right?" Dante gaped at the baobab.

"No."

"How is that possible?"

"Heh. I said you wouldn't believe me."

"Well I already think you're nuts so spit it out."

"They.. they cut your hand – by the way it healed so fast…" Herbert eyed him suspiciously.

"Keep to the point." Dante snapped, sidestepping the issue.

"They gathered some of your blood into a clay bowl and dropped several seeds in there. Then they dug a hole in the ground and poured the contents in. In a moment there was a sprout and in 15 minutes – voilà!" Herbert nodded towards the baobab.

"That's bullshit! I saw the trees healing fast but this!" Dante leaned back against the pole, eyeing the plant like it was an alien ship.

"Yeah, I know. They also cut my arm. To me it looked like a test."

"So?" Dante questioned. "Where are the trees? It grew nothing?"

"Huh!" Herbert jerked up his chin, looking offended and pointed at something near his feet with his eyes.

Dante dropped his gaze to the ground and burst out laughing. A small and feeble plantlet was protruding from the ground, tiny leaflets swaying in the wind. Herbert pouted his lips and placed his legs on either side of the plant protectively.

"What are you laughing at, you hormonal freak? I knew there was something wrong with you guys."

"Hey, hey." Dante chuckled. "No need to get so offensive. Here I am coming to save you and that's what I get?"

"Hah!" Herbert responded, unimpressed. "Your position doesn't look any different."

"Just give me a sec." Dante strained his arms and tugged at the bounds. Nothing happened. He took a deep breath, clenched his teeth and started to pull at the strings with his best efforts. Something snapped and he craned his neck to look at the ropes. His jaw dropped as he realized two things. First, it wasn't rope. Second, the ropes which appeared to be strong stems were rapidly replacing the torn stalks with new ones that were growing fast from under the pole and out of the stem cuts. Soon he realized that his bounds doubled both in strength and in quantity. "Shit."

"That's what I'm talking about." Herbert sighed.

"For someone that faints at the sight of blood you are being oddly calm about this."

"Well," Herbert coughed and blushed. "First, I'm just tired of fearing and jumping at every sound. And second, when you were screaming in your dream I thought that if I added my own yells that would be somewhat.. fatuous." He grimaced.

"So you conceded the right to fill the air with shouts to me. How sweet." Dante shook his head. Even in the parallel universe the human was afraid to look foolish. It was totally foreign to him. "By the way, what else did you see? Any other people?"

The human's face darkened and the frightened expression returned to his features. "See that pole next to you?" As Dante nodded he continued. "There was a girl from Atlanta."

"Really?" Sparkles lit in half-demon's eyes and he smirked. Knowing that there was at least one woman in that madhouse put a new slant on their situation. "Where is she?"

"She's dead."

"What?" Dante frowned. "How?"

"They cut her head off." Herbert replied hollowly. "I don't know why and where they took her but half an hour later they dragged her headless body here and threw it into the bushes. And then…" He trailed off, gulping involuntarily. "Then something attacked it there, tearing it apart and.. I don't know.. gobbling??"

"Yeah, I saw something like that when they attacked us this morning." Dante said in a moment, moving his eyes from the third pole to the bushes. "Looks like plants are carnivorous here." Another question for Vergil to drive him mad came to his mind - if he saw him again - and Dante grinned inwardly.

"God, this is so wrong!" Herbert went limp against the pole, facing away from Dante. "I was waiting for it to come out and jump at me but it didn't. As if it was.. sated."

"I don't think they attack the living..but.." - Dante remembered his first encounter. "Damn, we need to get out of here." He went for another bounds-breaking round and stopped when Herbert asked him a question.

"Where's your brother?"

"Hell knows." He shrugged his shoulders. "Probably celebrates his deliverance from us, galloping over the jungles."

"Won't he come for you?" Herbert almost sounded dumbfounded.

"Pfft." Dante huffed. "Let's say if I'm drowning and Vergil is on the bank, the only thing I get from him is a farewell wave."

"But he's your…"

"To him that's more of a disappointment than a reason for heroism."

Herbert studied him silently for a moment, feeling some sort of sympathy for him. His sister often said that she hated him but he knew that she would never leave him in the lurch. Oh how he wanted to see her, his family again… Suddenly his gaze caught at something on his shoulders.

"Hey!" he exclaimed. "That's my backpack!"

"Ah, sorry." Dante grimaced. "I thought that Vergil would hardly pick any stuff when I'm gone and decided to take it along."

"But it's empty! They hurled you on your back?? It's all torn!" Herbert wanted to cover his face with his hand but it was bound so he expressed his emotions by kicking the ground. "Mom would kill me for the cell phone!"

"Well, something tells me that your mom is the last thing we should worry about." Dante emphasized his words by tugging at the fetters. "By the way who are they? Mutants, aliens, horned zombies, clones of Cameron Diaz without make up?"

"People!" The guy kept on raising the dust, putting all his despair into the rapid motions. "Ordinary people, blast them!"

Dante pondered the information for a couple of seconds.

"How could ordinary people place this power under their command?" He wondered, feeling the unremitting grip of the stems on his wrists. "There ought to be something else."

The human gave him a blank look when suddenly the tangles near the guy moved apart and two humans stepped out of the greenery, their spears ready. There indeed was nothing extraordinary about these creatures. One dark-haired head, two hands, two legs. I mean not just legs and hands but a full set, of course. Their muscular physique was covered by frayed but clean linen pants and sleeveless shirts and they had thin ropes wrapped around their arms from elbows to wrists. They didn't look like cannibals either. Or maybe his idea of cannibals was highly inspired by movies about savages.

What drew his attention was a bundle of laces and beads around their necks, different stones and pendants lying on their chests. Amulets, probably. There was something familiar about the symbols on the stones but Dante couldn't quite grip it.

"Hey dudes!" Dante called cheerfully, blowing the hair from his eyes with a whistled mouth. Now he got a plan. They had to unwound their hands to take them where they wanted which meant he would have a moment to attack. "I was beginning to think you forgot about us. What's for lunch?"

The men ignored him as one of them stood in front of Herbert, holding his spear to his chest. The other kneeled behind the pole.

"Hey, you deaf.." the words vaporized from his mind as Dante watched him place his hands near the bundle of stems that winded the boys wrists. The ropes – again he mistook it – slid down the aborigine's arms and swiftly wrapped around boy's hands, replacing the greeny stems which let go of the human and winded around the pole, staying still. "Oh, that was…cool." he muttered, realizing that he wouldn't be able to fulfill his plan. He saw that the blood drained from the boy's face as the guards lifted him to his feet. They had to take hold of his arms as his feet almost gave way under him. He didn't make any resistance and Dante was sure he was close to fainting again.

"Hey!" Dante started to wriggle out of his ropes as he realized that they came here only for the human. "What about me?! I'll be bored to death here alone! Bert, kick them!! I know you're strong! Awaken the beast within!!" he shouted as they turned their backs on him.

"Bye, pal. Hope you'll find a way out." Dante barely heard his faint reply as he bucked against his restrains and frantically searched for solution. So this was what he came here for? To watch him die? So stupid, so simple? They would butcher him like a lamb and he would do nothing? Just sit here and wait for his turn?

Oh, how he envied his brother's powers at the moment. He could have summoned a couple of swords and easily disposed of them. Vergil was right. The idea was foolish from the start.

He tried to trigger but felt just a slight heat inside that quickly faded. What the hell?!

Suddenly they stopped as the third human appeared from out of the greenery. He told something to the other two on the language he didn't know and pointed to Dante. They turned to him, frowning, before looking at the baobab. Apparently it impressed them as they exchanged a couple of amazed remarks.

"You agree that it kinda disturbs the scenery?" Dante grinned, figuring that now they were going to take him as well.

They didn't say anything and approached him but that time they used three or four ropes to bind him, wrapping a loop around his neck and to the hands so he couldn't disentangle himself from them without strangling himself. Apparently they had some sort of logic. If a person's drop of blood could grow baobab, one could hardly imagine what the whole person was capable of, right? (_yeah, lots of baobabs_)

Dante decided not to test the strength of his neck muscles and let the natives drag him along through the bushes. Besides, he wanted to see what that was all about. What was their purpose? Who created the portals? What was the pattern of victim choice?

As the tangles thinned out, a flat area of sandy ground was slowly coming into view. When they stepped out of the bushes onto the grass-free soil, Dante gaped around at neat wooden huts and shacks that were everywhere he looked, people standing near the houses, talking and laughing, kids playing on the ground. Just an ordinary village – the one you could see on the pictures from African countries or about American Indians – a nice village actually. But what had he expected? A slaughterhouse? Half-naked people standing around large bonfire with cells hanging above the flame? Well…what disturbed him that no one paid attention to them, as if they were invisible. Or they killed for such a long time that it became a routine? He didn't understand anything…until he saw an altar. Bingo.

So now he just craved to see that something that considered itself great enough to create not just a sect but a personal world for its needs.

As they neared the altar and the guards forced him on his knees – looked like they decided to use him first – a totally unwanted question popped up in his mind.

Where was his high and mighty brother?


	9. Chapter 9

**The Disclaimer: Capcom owns D & V.  
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**Chapter 9**

Meanwhile…

Vergil ran a hand through his hair as he pondered his further actions, standing at the spot which had been occupied by his brother before he drifted off. How could he fall asleep after everything that happened? The half-devil cursed under his breath and sank to the ground, leaning his back against the tree. Everything around was quiet as he mused over his options. He would proceed to the mountain and check if there were any buildings or settlements nearby. As soon as he found someone who walked on two limbs and had a tongue he would get the requisite information and get out of that godforsaken place. That was if they spoke any human language, of course, and had the adequate data. Vergil scowled. The more he thought about it, the more faults were revealed. Not to mention the fact that the idea of going all the way back was sickening him. Cutting a path through the tangles with all those snares alone wasn't the same as when he was accompanied by… Dante. He grimaced. That buffoon. He wondered if Dante managed to save that annoying human without getting himself…

He quickly put those thoughts out of his head. Why should he care? It was completely his brother's idea and whatever happened to him was totally the consequence of his restless actions. He even tried to dissuade him and that was already a great favor on his part.

Now Vergil had to wonder what he was thinking. Justifying himself? What for? There was nothing he could be blamed for. Oh, again. Damn it! He abruptly stood up and dusted off his coat before looking around for anything that could distract him from his thoughts.

He saw something glistening in the bushes and huffed as he realized that it was Rebellion. He neared the sword and pulled the tangles apart so he could have a better view of the weapon as it was half-concealed by the greenery. The sword was lying perpendicularly to the line of bushes around the clearing like an arrow, forming something akin to the shield and spear of the Roman god Mars that represented the male sex. Vergil scoffed at the sight and wondered whether he should take their father's sword with him. Why didn't Dante summon it?

His teeth clenched as he tried not to think of what it could mean. Perhaps he was intending to do it later or… Vergil screwed his eyes and leant slightly forward as he let his gaze dip further into the jungles where the sword was "pointing" to. A couple of meters away he saw one of his twin's beloved guns, which was lying in the straight line with the sword. Oh, he wasn't serious, was he?

Vergil shook his head and turned away from the bushes, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. His brother could be foolish but he had to admit that his interpretation of Grimm's fairytale was rather amusing. But his twin was wrong about one component of the composition. He was **not** going to play the part of Hansel or Grettel.

Did his brother believe he would follow that way so much he left his pistols behind? He refused to apprehend that. He turned his head to look down at the sword again as he tried to understand what reasons his twin had to rely on him. As he mulled it over he realized that the silence was beginning to get on his nerves, since no one filled the air with nonsensical questions… All right, that's enough. He was getting more and more irritated with himself as unwanted thoughts kept flooding his mind, distracting him from his purpose. Control. Control and concentration. He must find a way out and the sooner he did that the better. He needed to restore his mental equilibrium which cracked whenever Dante was around. He sighed as he made two decisions. First, he would keep all Dante-related thoughts off his mind and second – he would not go back. There should be another way out.

The sun was high in the sky and Vergil eased the cravat around his neck, his fingertips brushing against the metal underneath that remained cold all the time. Of course! His amulet was a ticket to..well, not the best of the places but surely with more options. But as he pulled the memento of his mother out and it scintillated in the sunlight, he was struck by the realization. He dropped his hands and stared before him stupidly while his mind was voicing profanities.

"Idiot!" He cursed. Why didn't he figure this earlier? How on Earth would he activate it without Dante's half of the amulet?! He wanted to tear his hair out in frustration. Had Dante considered this possibility? Of course he had. That explained his absolute lack of care and calmness whenever the human spoke of their situation. Not that he ever showed seriousness but still… And the human kept Dante from using that option; because the mortal would die the instant they touched the Hell's grounds. Why hadn't he thought about it?

Vergil started to pace the clearing, rubbing his temples as he tried to think clearly. The rage was clouding his mind and he looked around for something to wreak his vexation on. Damn it all! Swinging his arm he smashed his fist into nearby tree, splinters flying in all directions.

Slight pain in his knuckles partly dispelled the eclipse and he took hold of the tree, pressing his forehead against the trunk. As much as the situation frustrated him, it also left him with only one option which meant he didn't need to make any decisions. "Looks like this is your lucky day, Dante." He muttered spitefully.

But then a crooked smile crept up his lips. Well, the only thing he needed was the amulet. There was no need to be in a hurry. He could take it from the corpse equally well.

He moved away from the tree and stepped into the jungles, his mood quickly brightening up. After eyeing his brother's weapons for a minute from different angles with his head cocked to the side, Vergil narrowed his eyes as a flashback sent him back in time to a small room with sunrays shining through the window, lighting up all the mess it was currently in.

_Their summer camp was coming to an end and the twins were packing up their things as they waited for their parents. Well... one twin was packing whereas the other was loafing about somewhere out of Vergil's sight and the elder half-devil felt his irritation grow as he observed his brother's belongings scattered about the room. They would be gone in less than an hour but Dante didn't even show up! Did that moron expected that he would pick his things for him? Hanged if he would! Everything would be left as it was. But as he eyed the sketchbooks and pile of clothes on the bed he realized something that made him grind his teeth. If they left them here Dante would probably feel impudent enough to use his twin's things on returning. He could already see their mother scolding at him for not taking care of his younger brother and asking him to share his belongings until they bought Dante new ones. Damnation! A loud groan escaped him as Vergil grabbed his brother's sack and started to stuff his clothes into it, muttering obscenities and trying not to look at the dirty things he was touching._

_As he picked another sock, his nose wrinkled in disgust, the door swung open and Dante came rushing in. Jumping on his bed so it squeaked in protest he looked at his brother curiously before noticing his packed sack._

_"Wow, Verge." He exclaimed merrily as he put his hands under his head. "So attentive of you."_

_Vergil didn't reply as he straightened up, taking a disinfectant out of his pocket and pouring some on his palm. Dante propped himself up on his elbow as he watched his brother clean his hands before smirking mischievously._

_"Hey, Vergil?" he called cheerfully. When his brother's cold gaze settled on him he continued. "Since you decided to do all my packing yourself, don't forget that shirt over the..Ah!!" he yelled as Vergil grabbed the sack and smashed him on the head without saying a word._

_"Verge!.. Ooh!.. I was just jok.. Ah!" he yelped between hits trying to shield himself with his arms as Vergil bashed him repeatedly until the curator looked inside to tell them that their parents arrived and rushed to the boys to try and drag infuriated Vergil away from the "poor child"._

Vergil grimaced and forced the memory away as he looked down at the sword. There was probably something in the air, he assumed as he picked Rebellion up, because it was messing with his head. Why was he doing all that? Well, he couldn't leave the memento of his father in some mid-world, could he? The thought suited him well.

Ebony was left lying in the grass until Vergil returned and tucked it in his belt, cursing all the way. He decided to do without any explanation for once.

In another ten meters Ivory joined its black twin. But then he saw something strange. A glove. Like that of a goalkeeper in hockey. Vergil frowned and proceeded with his "bread-crumbs" way, feeling like a complete idiot. Soon he found a cell phone. What the hell was going on? Obviously Dante was using the human's belongings but how? He doubted that Dante was freely throwing about things as they daggled him along. Then it popped up. The backpack! Vergil kicked the cell phone away and walked on, cutting the hanging lianas with Rebellion from time to time. Either Dante made a hole in the sack or he put it on upside down and left it open. A man of ideas, aren't you, brother? Who would have thought?

Suddenly a wave of anxiety washed over him and he stopped in his tracks, looking around to see if something nearby was causing it. But at the same time he knew that it had nothing to do with outside world. Strange feeling appeared in his hands, as if something was tightly wrapped around his wrists. Vergil dropped Rebellion and brought his hands up to see that they were slightly trembling. But the sensation died away as quickly as it appeared, leaving Vergil with unpleasant thoughts. He didn't like this. Never liked, mainly because it shattered his composure and affected his mind. If there was something he hated more than the fact of being related to this dimwit by blood, it was that obnoxious "twin-connection".

But it also meant that he didn't need those stupid made-up pointers to find him. And thanks to the connection he would literally feel when it was time to interfere. Or maybe just wait until it naturally died out.

***

Dante was eyeing the altar as the guards removed the loop from his neck, leaving restraints on his hands and taking their positions on either side of his kneeled form. He had seen a good amount of altars due to his kind of job and could say that this one had quite an awkward design. While its lower part was ordinary looking – table-like piece of stone – the upper part had the appearance of a smaller and reverse version of triumphal arch. The white stone was decorated with demonic symbols and ornaments but Dante paid little attention to its décor as his gaze moved to settle on the thing next to the altar. Oh, shit, he thought as he looked at the deadly construction. Guillotine. He swallowed as his demonic senses searched frantically for his brother's presence. No sign of it.

Dante wondered if he was completely wrong about his twin as one of the guards grabbed his chin from behind and forced his head back to press a dagger against his neck. It froze there, apparently waiting for a signal, nearly touching his skin.

"Huh?" Dante breathed out indignantly as he tried to move away. "Is that it? No ceremonies? No chants? What kind of ritual is that?!" He used to distract people with his chatter but how would he do that if they didn't understand him?!

Apparently he wasn't the only one dissenting with the guard's actions as he heard someone's angry voice from behind and in a moment the man let go of him, taking a step back. Dante let out a sigh of relief but in a second an elderly man with white and long hair stood in front of him, the same dagger clutched in his hand. So the joy was premature.

Dante tried to bend away from the dagger but instead of aiming at his neck the old man grabbed him by the shoulder and slashed his fore arm. The half-demon winced as the trickle of blood ran down his arm and into the bowl that appeared out of nowhere in the elder's other hand.

"What are you? Vampires?" He asked, looking down at the bowl which was quickly filling with his blood. He was tired of getting no answers. What was going on? Would he die in ignorance??

When the vessel was full the old men approached the altar and slowly poured the blood onto the round disk that was atop the altar among the candles and different stone idols. He emptied the bowl and returned to Dante, smiling down at him. His eyes widened as the man cuffed him slightly on the cheek and said something which sounded somewhat approvingly.

"Keep off, old man!" Dante growled as he jerked his head away. Not affected at all the aborigine kept smiling as he dropped his hand. He moved out of his sight and Dante looked at the altar as the air around the stone table began to light up with sparkles. A purplish smoke was spiraling upward from the center of the disk, forming a large cloud inside the reverse arch which was curving into a think circle, darkening towards the center.

"At last." Dante muttered as the surface of the circle became iridescent which indicated that it was a portal.

A dark demonic face was slowly emerging from the cloud, the expression on its ugly human-like face utterly haughty and sublime, red eyes shining with proud superiority. That was until the demon saw Dante. The half-demon burst out laughing as the demon widened his eyes in horror and quickly vanished into the portal. But apparently he recovered his wits as he showed his face again – with the same insolent expression, like nothing had happened.

"Well, well." Dante grinned, amused by his behavior. "I remember you! And looks like you haven't forgotten me either."

"The son of Sparda." The demon hissed as he appeared half-way from the portal, his scraggy greyish body floating above the altar. "What are you doing here?"

"That is what I wanted to ask you." Dante replied as he tried to remember what the source of his power was. "But we killed you, me and Lady, remember? How did you survive?"

"Well." The demon crossed his arms on his chest and smiled. Apparently he estimated the positions that they were in and was now enjoying the power he had over the half-devil. "Yes, you expelled me from your world but it does not mean I cannot exist in the other one, does it?"

"But what the hell is this?" Dante pointed at the altar and around him with his eyes. "You'd always been the lesser one. How did you create all this?"

"You would be surprised to know what blood and little worshipping can do, combined." The devil smirked. "It all started with a small group of starving people that asked for a harvest. They acceded to all of my terms and sacrificed one of them to get what they wanted, thus bringing the curse on this land and making me a sole master of this little world. I provided them with seeds but because of the draught the ground was cracked and hard like a stone. This place, however, was permeated with demonic energy and the human blood became a perfect catalyst."

"..You know what?" Dante asked as he put two and two together, remembering the baobab and imagining the people steep the seeds in blood. "That's totally fucked up."

"But as you may see it worked amazingly well." The demon smiled at his reaction as he went on with his narration. "In a while there was a dense and strong forest which was immune to any contagion. The destruction caused by termites healed long before the insects could grow hungry again. The only thing the woods needed was a nonstop delivery of victims as their life cycle was comparable to that of man. Besides, the rains were rare and they needed to be showered with something. So I decided to create several-.."

"Portals." Dante finished, glaring at him as the pieces of puzzles began to assemble into a freaky picture. "What happened to the traditional way of seducing the souls? Too lazy, aren't you?

"This is not solely about souls." The demon replied, irritated. "As I have said we need their bodies and blood to ensure the rich harvest for the locals."

"So you pick random people and kill them just like that?" Dante was beginning to feel nauseous. Everything around was soaked with blood. Trees, fruits, ground, even people. How could they eat something that grew from blood?

"Don't offend me by making such presumptions." The demon growled with sudden indignation. "Picking victims randomly is pure dilettantism. You could even say I'm doing your world a favor."

"Oh, really?" Dante scoffed. "Enlighten me then?"

"I rid it of desperate people, the ones out of spirits and bereft of hope. They are no good for society."

"Ah, now I remember. You were the demon of despondency." Dante finally remembered. He was one of the devils that were set free by Arkham among the other evil spirits during the events of Temen-ni-gru. He was lower than the commanders but higher than some of the Sins.

"Yes, and I still am." The demon spread his arms semi-apologetically before folding them again over his chest. "Even with that power I can't help myself. Despondency is a wonderful emotion – the most reckless acts are committed in that state because humans simply do not care. It is also a reason for numerous suicides which replenish the stock of souls in the Underworld."

Dante pondered the received information for a moment.

"This is all very nice, but there's a fault in your cranky formula." He said as the demon raised his brows expectantly. "What am _**I**_ doing here?"

The demon cocked his head to the side as he eyed the kneeled half-devil with curiosity.

"Right, Dante. What are you doing here?" he echoed calmly, his gaze moving up and sideways as if he was remembering something. "Ah." He looked down at the half-demon, a knowing smile forming on his lips.

Dante frowned as he stared at the demon in confusion.

"Tell me, Dante," The demon paused and looked at the half-demon whose eyes widened as he finished his question.

"Why were you drinking that night?"


	10. Chapter 10

_Well, I guess that is it. Thanks to those who reviewed this story, added to favourites or simply read it to the end)).  
I wonder how many of you made it here because I think there are parts that look like they had been written in some sort of a crazy haze. o_O  
Anyway, I'd be even more thankful if you dropped me a line-)_**

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Chapter 10

"What?" Dante stared at him in confusion. That was the least expected question under current circumstances.

"That was because of your brother, right?"

"What are you talking about?" The expression on his face turned into the one of complete bewilderment.

"Forgetful now, aren't we?" The demon scoffed. "All right, we shall play it your way. Your friend and his wife were murdered the other day and, being a human… well, not that. _Feeling _as a human, you had considered it your duty to find out the attacker's identity."

Yes, that was how it started. The police didn't have any evidence and the only information they got was that the wound in the woman's stomach had been inflicted by a thin and elongated blade. That didn't really suggest anything and the arrows pointed to no one in particular. It could be anyone his fellow hunter had possibly crossed paths with.

But the moment Dante stepped into the crime scene he realized that there was no one he could fool but himself as everything – even the air itself – was penetrated by the energy he would recognize everywhere and in any state. Vergil. His brother had been there and there was no need to look at the bodies to know who was responsible for the whole mess. But why? Why did he kill those innocent people? Just when he thought that two years after Vergil's homecoming things were returning to normal, that they were finally past the tragedies of their family, he was forced to see something that stroke out everything he believed.

"But of course, as good a brother as you are, you didn't let the facts put you up to the truth, despite its obviousness." – The demon jeered, just as if he was somehow following the course of his thoughts. "_**Impossible!**_ You thought. **_I should let him prove everything wrong!_**" he mocked in a high-pitched tone, making Dante clench his teeth in an impotent anger. He felt like a fool and it didn't help that the demon was right. That was what he had been thinking and that's why he had gone to Vergil's apartment.

He wanted to hear him justify himself even though he knew that his brother would never stoop to something as disgraceful as excuses and justifying. He would sooner confirm whatever Dante asked about just to get rid of his brother. _"Yes, Dante, that was how it happened. Anything else?"_ He didn't care one bit what people thought about him. The very idea of someone judging him was laughable to the half-demon. And Dante knew it too well but still persisted in his stubborn unwillingness to face the undeniable and instead wanting to hear the version of the truth from his brother's mouth. Perhaps his senses were playing hell with him back then…

"You didn't find your brother when you arrived at his dwelling place, but.. You found something _much more_ interesting." The demon smiled, widening his eyes in emphasis. "Blood covered clothes. Proving enough even for your blinkered eyes, wasn't it? And you decided to give your brother up in a bar. How human. But the irony is…"

"And how is that any of your business by the way?" Dante cut him off suddenly, narrowing his eyes, his chin slightly upwards.

"Ah, but it is so amusing – the stories of souls giving something up. There is a collection I own and yours is going to be the most senseless one."

"Oh really?" Dante scoffed. "Well, I beg to differ because senseless is the way I'm gonna kick your hidden ass!" He twitched in his restraints slightly, glaring daggers at the demon.

"That reminds me." The demon muttered thoughtfully. "It's time for you to benefit to my people's wellbeing. Put him there." He motioned towards the guillotine and the guards took Dante under his arms, dragging him roughly towards the altar. "Since your blood is demonic this world would be provided with good harvest for a large period of time. How long do you half-breeds live? Decades? Centuries? But unfortunately you would not have a chance to find out."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure." Dante breathed out, suddenly stopping and shoving the sole of his boot into one of his guards' knee. The guard hissed, easing the grip for a moment and Dante used it to knock the other one to the ground along with himself. Once on the back, he used his legs to kick off the other guards that tried to approach him before jumping to his feet. "I will live through death and use the morning flight from Hell just to make sure you get your due thrashing!"

"That would not work." Dante didn't last long in that position as the men threw themselves at him, including those that had been keeping Herbert at place. They let go of the human who was quiet as a mouse during the whole conversation, and tackled Dante to the ground but this time two men picked his struggling form up by the arms and the other two grasped him by the legs, though it was pretty hard considering the strength Dante was demonstrating with his desperate attempts to throw them off, contracting and expanding like a mad swimmer using breaststroke.

Realizing his own uselessness and being unable to make any sound, with a growing horror Herbert watched them drag Dante in that awkward position towards the execution point, ignoring his yells and loud curses. He couldn't just figure out what they had been talking about. What was with that coming from Hell and demons? He hoped, for the last time, that it was just a very, very bad dream.

"As you may see, there is a soul catcher above the altar. There would be no single piece of you left after we're done with you." The demon added before vanishing into the portal which, however, remained activated.

Dante's eyes widened as he gaped at the guillotine they were nearing as he noticed that it was turned athwart to the altar so when they cut his head off it would fall – he refused to even think about it! – right into the hollow on the altar he hadn't noticed before. Just above the hollow there was something that looked like a fume hood, attached to the upper side of the altar and covered with runes and demonic symbols, which was supposed to take in whatever spiritual essence left the demon hunter's body (if he had any). He had no idea how could something like that work – even exist! - but the very possibility of it made his insides cramp.

"Shit!" His thoughts frantically dashed about in his head and he found himself screaming when they shoved him into the crook of the deadly mechanism, placing his head into position where he faced the altar hollow. "NOOO, damn it!! It wasn't supposed to end like this!!" He doubted that even he could survive something like that especially if there would be no form to bustle about in the underworld if he possessed something as human as a soul.

"Stay away you freak!" He yelled as the familiar old man approached the construction and reached forward to pull the trigger of the mechanism that would set the blade off. Dante kept struggling but with his hands tied he couldn't do anything to get himself out of the wooden frame as the guards blocked his every movement from behind. "No, no! Don't do it!! DON'T!!!"

The old man smiled. Something chinked.

"NOOOOOOOOO-"

**BANG!!!**

...

In a couple of moments Dante snapped open first one eye, then the other before looking down and wondering why the hell he was still breathing if his head was chopped off. He'd never been through that procedure before so he couldn't say for sure what the afterlife felt like. Turning his head slightly to look up he saw that the blade stopped just mere centimeters from his neck. Huh? He blinked and swallowed as he stared at the shining blade of katana which embedded itself into the soul collector, thus blocking the path of the guillotine's major component which bended slightly from the collision with a more solid metal.

"Wha-" Before he could comment the occurrence and thank whatever virtues had saved him something jerked him back and out of the guillotine's frame, nearly making him topple over at the abrupt motion. His hands were free but he couldn't make himself believe his deliverance until he turned around to see the familiar scowl on the face of his brother. The guards that had been keeping him at the mechanism were sinking to the ground, pierced by summoned swords that could still be visible in their bodies.

"What a screamer you are." Vergil stated dryly.

"Dude…" Dante finally breathed out, a goofy grin slowly drawing itself across his face, as he failed to come up with anything else due to the gamut of emotions that consumed him. "Duuude." He took a step forward, his arms slightly raised, only to be stopped by a lance that flew through the space between them, making Dante turn his head to see that they were being surrounded by infuriated locals, weapons ready in their arms. Something was shoved into his hands which appeared to be his twin pistols as he looked down before meeting Vergil's expressionless eyes again.

"Now look alive, will you?" Vergil said angrily before pulling Yamato out of the soul collector and slicing the first hunter that threw himself at him. "Since I have kindly prolonged your useless existence." That brought Dante out of his dreamy haze of relief and he snarled, narrowing his eyes.

"You could have been a little quicker about it, slowpoke."

"I beg your pardon?" Vergil stared at him with an are-you-serious expression, a bunch of the summoned swords glowing above his head before lunging at the crowd. "Is it complaints I hear?"

"Yes it is. Where the hell have you been? They practically turned me into a Nearly-headless Nick. No, Totally-headless Nick, dammit!" He fired off another two villagers and the rest of the crowd was now acting less reckless as they switched to the ranged fire, showering lances at them which they had to dodge or deflect with their own weapons.

"Impossible." Vergil muttered in disbelief, dodging another lance. "Have you ever heard of the word "gratitude"? Now quit whining or I will make sure this gearing finishes what it started properly."

"WHAT!!" They heard a loud growl as the demon reappeared from out of the portal, eyeing Vergil with an astonished look. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

The villagers froze in place, along with the half-demons who looked up at the grey form of the indignant hellish creature.

"Oh, we come as a unit, you know." Dante smirked, making Vergil curse inwardly. "As in the ads like "Buy one twin, get another for free."

Meanwhile Herbert finally collected himself and used the demon's distracted attention to drag his ass along the ground with the help of his legs to one of the nearby guard bodies. Spotting what he was looking for – a dagger – he moved so his back was facing the body and grabbed the dagger with his tied hands. There was nobody else to rely on, that was for sure.

"BUT HOW??" Dante knew that as soon as the demon realized that now he had not one but two samples of perfect blood he would order his worshippers to attack them for the second time. He didn't want to shoot all those humans just because they didn't know what's right and what's wrong any more. Suddenly a thought crossed his mind. Of course! The altar! That must be the thing that bound their worlds together. Once it's destroyed, everything would go back to the way it had been before. Well, in theory, at least. But how would he get close to that thing with the demon watching their every movement?

"Well…" From the corner of the eye he caught sight of Herbert's manipulations. Good. He needed to distract the demon. "We... are twins," He started hesitantly, making pauses after each phrase. "Born from one zygote.. which divided into two separate embryos.." Vergil's brows quirked up and he turned to look at his brother, wondering if he was hearing things. "…Which means that we have nearly identical DNA and that makes it possible to consider us as two halves of one person." He grimaced inwardly as he honestly doubted if he made any sense, but why was Vergil giving him that look? It's not like biology and genetics were his strong points. He shrugged his shoulders.

The demon fell silent for a moment, trying to figure out how it affected his portals' work principles and Dante used it to signal Herbert to sneak up to the altar.

"That does not explain it." The demon frowned as he looked down at the twins. "But still, the better for us to have both of you at our disposal. Prepare for-" He didn't finish as he noticed the human, but it was too late. Though Herbert had no idea what Dante wanted him to do. "What is-"

"STICK IT INTO THE CENTER, BERT!" Dante yelled as human raised his arms, aiming for the round disk atop the altar and bringing the dagger down.

The demon growled as the streaks of light shoot out of the altar, throwing the human away and making him clutch his upper arm as he lied on the ground, wincing in pain. It felt like a damned strike of lightning!

The demon darted forward, trying to get his body out of the portal before it closed but it was working as a whirlpool then, pulling everything in. The altar began to fall to pieces, accompanied with portions of energy that kept bursting out of it, the stone cracking and crumbling to dust. The demon's grey hands tried to grasp at the altar's upper elongated parts but they were falling off as well so with a last shriek the creature was completely sucked in. The portal closed, the last moments of its existence sending a wave of energy that consumed the half-devils and the rest of the residents. Before they could realize what was going on, the ground disappeared from under their feet, and the world turned upside down.

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"No, hell, NO!" he cried out as his eyes shot open, darting around in the darkness. Where was he? Herbert looked around, confused, but then realized that he had fallen asleep in the side street. He leaned back against the wall where he was sitting, and ran a hand through his tousled hair. What a strange dream, he thought. Demons, cannibals, lianas... Perhaps I should see some shrink? But he would probably say that it's the result of pent-up frustration and anger at my team... Yeah, everyone is out there to beat me, eat me, blah-blah-blah.. He sighed heavily and remembered that he should already be home. What time was that? He searched around for his rucksack and saw that it was nowhere to be found. Damn, he was robbed!! Oh, God, mom would kill me for the cellphone! His mind screamed as he got to his feet and trotted towards his house. The movement though caused him to clutch at his arm as it stung slightly. Where did that come from? He wondered as he spotted the small burn. It almost looked like.. No, don't even think about. You have a lot of other problems to take care of besides your "almost real" dreams. Like your little mean girlfriend. Okay? Okay. Yes, he was a coward but since he could take out a demon, he would cope with this lowdown bitch. He shook his head and moved forward. Oh, no, you didn't just say that. Did you?

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It was the same empty alley, the same time of the night. Nothing was disturbing the owners of the near houses in their peaceful slumber. Suddenly something flashed in the darkness and two objects were thrown down to the ground, both forms groaning at their rough landing.

"God damn it." The voice resounded as they tried to lift themselves off the ground, their heads spinning and dinning just as if they had been inside the huge bell that someone had rang at the time. Perhaps it would have been better if they had just blacked out like the last time. "I can't remember the last time I-"

"Shut up!" The other growled as they tried to get on all fours, moving and hitting each other in their disarray, like two myopes that dropped their glasses on the ground and were now trying to grope for it in a blur. "Just like I said this was all because of you, you hopeless dimwit. Strange that it was not the gluttony or sloth demon that was out for your blood."

"_Hopeless_, huh? So you've heard everything, haven't you?" Dante asked as they packed themselves into a sitting position, holding their buzzing heads. "You could have stopped them long before they put me into that thing! Hope you enjoyed yourse-"

"Dante," Vergil let out an aggravated sigh. "Do not make me regret my decision. Or I will see about acquiring one of those pieces of machinery as a domestic utility. "

Dante narrowed his eyes. "Ah, you're a sadist."

"Yes, I am," Vergil replied flatly. "Especially when it comes to you, little brother. Think about it first before doing something as foolish as breaking into my-"

That was when they both remembered the demon's words and both instantly realized what the other was thinking as they gazed at each other in an uneasy silence. Vergil awaited the question Dante hadn't had a chance to ask and this time Vergil couldn't say for sure if he would really want to leave it unanswered.

Mainly because he didn't kill that human. Apparently their family hunt the other day had gone wrong because his wife ended being possessed and attacked him. When Vergil arrived for the information he wanted to get from the two on some grimoire the man was already dead and he had no other choice but to neutralize the woman as she became absolutely uncontrollable.

"So," Dante spoke, snapping him out of his thoughts, as he rose to his feet, dusting his pants off. A smirk appeared on his face as he watched his brother follow suit. "Now you know why I dropped by. And if you don't have any other questions I'm gonna replay that damned evening and get clinched again because that moron totally blew it." Honestly, he didn't consider himself that hopeless anymore. Vergil had stopped the machine. And that meant a great deal to him. But it didn't mean that he couldn't get wasted just for the fun of it. "Wanna join in?"

"It's already morning. Who is drinking in the morning?"

"Ah, you're crape-hanger." Dante scoffed. "See ya around." He saluted and began to walk in the opposite direction. What was that beast he had drunk? Ah, "Blue dusk"! _Yep, I'm coming, baby._ He chuckled as he trod towards the lit street in the distance in anticipation. Suddenly he stopped, turning around.

"Hey, there is something I need to ask you."

So he wanted to know. Very well. Vergil met his eyes, deciding that he would give him a fair answer for once.

"What is it?"

"You know, if a vegetarian ate any of those plants that were eating people – which are meat – he wouldn't be a vegetarian anymore?"

"What?!" Vergil gaped, drawing an outburst of laughter from his twin. "**DANTE!!**"

---the end---


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